Davies hails dedicated pro Muamba

20 March 2012 09:19

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Kevin Davies believes the outpouring of emotion for Bolton team-mate Fabrice Muamba has been so great because the midfielder is a genuinely nice person.

The encouraging news that emerged about Muamba on Monday night will send a surge of energy through the Lancashire club. Most of Muamba's team-mates had returned to training on Monday morning still uncertain whether the 23-year-old was going to win his battle for life after he suffered cardiac arrest during Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final tie against Tottenham.

Now it seems their prayers are being answered and a player who has already been through so much in his short life will make some kind of a positive recovery, and Davies said: "Fabrice is someone we see every day. He is part of our family, not just a colleague. He is such a great role model to any young player or young adult."

He added: "Nothing has been handed to him on a plate. We all know where he has come from and where he is now.

"He is one of the first in, at 9am, every morning. He eats the right things, he does the right things off the pitch. He trains extremely hard.

"He will stay behind and do stuff. He will be in the gym. It is not something you often see with young players. They want to get in, get out, drive their fancy cars and buy some Gucci clothes and stuff. That is not Fabrice."

Davies revealed that Muamba had been planning for a wedding to his fiancee Shauna next year.

From the darkest hours of Saturday evening, when it appeared the 23-year-old would not survive after his heart stopped beating for two hours, it now appears Muamba may get to put those plans into action after all.

In fact, he might yet be asked whether Bolton should face Tottenham in their abandoned FA Cup tie, as Davies hoped.

"You ask yourself what would Fabrice want you to do?" said Davies. "I know he wanted to play. But Fabrice is in there (the hospital). Hopefully we can ask him in a few days, but for now it is just impossible."